Reading Bell Hooks During Cancer Season

Have you ever looked at a portrait and felt as if it was looking right back at you? Gabriella Moreno explores this power dynamic, not through piercing eye contact, but through reclining nudes and unconventional materials that question negotiations of power in sexual contexts. Femme central subjects are painted on silk and satin instead of the traditional canvas. Materials used for bedding and clothing combine the potential intimacy of their traditional uses with poses that empower the sitter. In her paintings, strength and softness induce each other and reflect back on you through the sheen of the stretched silk and satin.